'Moon River' singer Andy Williams dies

Lennox McLendon | AP file photoAndy Williams, seen here in 1978, had a string of gold albums and hosted several variety shows and specials such as "The Andy Williams Show."Request to buy this photo

Mike Blake | Reuters filesNelly Furtado, Andy Williams (C), and Roselyn Sanchez (R) announce the winner for Song of the Year at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. In November 2011, when Williams announced that he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer, he vowed to return to performing the following year: His 75th in show business.Request to buy this photo

Steve Marcus | Reuters filesAndy Williams (L) gets a hug from Wayne Osmond during a 2007 show at the Orleans hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Donny Osmond is at right.Request to buy this photo

Shizuo Kambayashi | AP file photoMovie songs became a specialty for Andy Williams, from "Love Story" and "Days of Wine and Roses" to "Moon River." The longing Johnny Mercer-Henry Mancini ballad was his most famous song, even though he never released it as a single.Request to buy this photo

Jerry Mosey | AP file photo"The old cliche says that if you can remember the 1960s, you weren't there," Andy Williams once recalled. "Well, I was there all right, but my memory of them is blurred - not by any drugs I took but by the relentless pace of the schedule I set myself."Request to buy this photo

AP file photoIn 1974, Andy Williams is seen with his wife Claudine Longet. In 1976, his then ex-wife Longet shot and killed her lover, skiing champion Spider Sabich. Longet, who said it was an accident, spent only a week in jail. Williams stood by her. He escorted her to the courthouse, testified on her behalf and provided support for her and their children, Noelle, Christian and Robert.Request to buy this photo

AP file photoWilliams became a major star the same year as Elvis Presley, 1956, with the Sinatra-like swing "Canadian Sunset," and for a time he was pushed into such Presley imitations as "Lips of Wine" and the No. 1 smash "Butterfly."Request to buy this photo

Dispatch file photoAfter leaving TV, Williams headed back on the road, where his many Christmas shows and albums made him a huge draw during the holidays.Request to buy this photo

John Hayes | AP file photoThe singer known for his easy-listening style and his wholesome, middle-America appeal was the antithesis of the counterculture that gave rise to rock and roll.Request to buy this photo

File photoAndy Williams sings a seasonal favorite in 1995 as part of his popular Christmas show. Williams, who opened his own 2,000 seat Moon River Theater in 1992, was the first non-country star to perform regularly in Branson, Missouri.Request to buy this photo

John S. Stewart | AP file photoAndy Williams spends time with his dogs at his theatre in Branson, Missouri, in 2000.Request to buy this photo

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